Hong Kong nurse banned from practice for five months after being found guilty of improperly removing catheter from elderly man
- Patient died in 2016 three days after the nurse removed the catheter when he was sitting on a chair, a position that could lead to venous air embolism
- Nursing Council lowered suspension period from six months to five in view of factors including Ho Lok-hei’s clear disciplinary record and his mitigation measures
The Nursing Council of Hong Kong made its ruling on Thursday as the accused nurse, Ho Lok-hei, admitted the two charges he faced.
The case dated back to May 2016, when Ho, then working in Queen Mary Hospital’s intensive care unit, removed a catheter from Kay Chee, a patient there. The procedure was done when Kay was sitting in an armchair – a position in which removing a catheter could lead to venous air embolism, a fatal condition where gas blocks veins.
According to standard practice, a catheter should be removed only when a person is lying down. Despite resuscitation, the patient died three days later.
Ho was accused of failing to ensure individual safety by not following the standard practice of removal of the catheter and thus increasing the risk of venous air embolism.